Malagasy Turtle Dove (Nesoenas picturatus)
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Malagasy Turtle Dove

Nesoenas picturatus (Temminck, 1813)

177 gWeight

The Malagasy turtle dove or Madagascar turtle dove (Nesoenas picturatus) is a bird species in the pigeon and dove family, Columbidae.

Busiest months: November · Most records: Madagascar, Seychelles, Mauritius

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: November · Most records: Madagascar, Seychelles, Mauritius

Malagasy Turtle Dove has been recorded at 65 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 7 countries and regions.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Ifaty – spiny forest reservesMadagascar725 records
  2. Berenty ReserveMadagascar404 records
  3. Andasibe Mantadia National ParkMadagascar289 records
More places
  1. Ankarafantsika NPMadagascar239 records
  2. Andasibe-Mantadia NPMadagascar237 records
  3. Ranomafana NPMadagascar231 records
  4. Ankarafantsika – Circuit CoquereliMadagascar201 records
  5. Ankarafantsika – Circuit RetendrikaMadagascar182 records
  6. ArideSeychelles181 records
  7. PerinetMadagascar177 records

Countries and regions with the most records

MadagascarSeychellesMauritiusBritish Indian Ocean TerritoryRéunionMayotteComoros

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The Malagasy turtle dove or Madagascar turtle dove (Nesoenas picturatus) is a bird species in the pigeon and dove family, Columbidae.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Malagasy Turtle Dove?

The Malagasy Turtle Dove weighs around 177 g.

Where does the Malagasy Turtle Dove live?

Its breeding range: Africa: Madagascar region and (perhaps introduced) Chagos Archipelago (west-central Indian Ocean). It is most often recorded in Madagascar, Seychelles and Mauritius.

When is the best time to see the Malagasy Turtle Dove?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in November (Southern Hemisphere).

Is the Malagasy Turtle Dove endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Malagasy Turtle Dove as Least Concern.

What does the Malagasy Turtle Dove eat?

Main food: Seeds.

What family is the Malagasy Turtle Dove in?

It belongs to the family Pigeons, Doves (Columbidae), order Columbiformes.

At a glance

Weight
177 g
Habitat
Forest
Diet
Seeds
Lifestyle
Active on the ground
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
166 mm
Tail
104 mm
Bill
20 mm
Tarsus
25 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Africa: Madagascar region and (perhaps introduced) Chagos Archipelago (west-central Indian Ocean)

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Family
Pigeons, Doves Columbidae
Genus
Nesoenas

Other birds in the genus Nesoenas

Pink PigeonPink PigeonNesoenas mayeriRock DoveRock DoveColumba liviaHill PigeonHill PigeonColumba rupestrisSnow PigeonSnow PigeonColumba leuconotaSpeckled PigeonSpeckled PigeonColumba guineaWhite-collared PigeonWhite-collared PigeonColumba albitorquesStock DoveStock DoveColumba oenasYellow-eyed PigeonYellow-eyed PigeonColumba eversmanniSomali PigeonSomali PigeonColumba oliviaeCommon Wood PigeonCommon Wood PigeonColumba palumbus
Malagasy Turtle Dove

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